Senate Bill No. 8–Joint Rules Committee

 

CHAPTER..........

 

AN ACT relating to financial administration; revising the amounts paid to certain public officers and employees as allowances for certain expenses; making appropriations to the contingency fund to restore and increase the balance in the fund; making appropriations to the Interim Finance Committee to assist state agencies and school districts in paying for certain energy needs; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

   Section 1. NRS 281.160 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   281.160  1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 or 5, or by

 specific statute, any district judge, state officer, state employee or member

 of an advisory board supported in whole or in part by any public money,

 whether the public money is received from the Federal Government or any

 branch or agency thereof, or from private or any other sources, is entitled

 to receive his expenses in the transaction of public business outside of the

 municipality or other area in which his principal office is located, to be

 paid at the rate of [$69] $76 for each 24-hour period during which he is

 away from the office and within the state, and [$27] $26 in addition to a

 reasonable room rate for each 24-hour period during which he is outside of

 the state.

   2.  Any person enumerated in subsection 1 is entitled to receive

 expenses for a period of less than 24 hours in accordance with regulations

 of the state board of examiners conforming generally to those rates.

   3.  Any person enumerated in subsection 1 is entitled to receive an

 allowance for transportation in the transaction of public business, whether

 within or outside of the municipality or other area in which his principal

 office is located. Transportation must be by the most economical means,

 considering total cost, time spent in transit and the availability of state

-owned automobiles and special use vehicles. The state board of

 examiners, on or before July 1 of each year, shall establish the rate of the

 allowance for travel by private conveyance. The rate must equal the

 standard mileage reimbursement rate for which a deduction is allowed for

 the purposes of federal income tax that is in effect at the time the annual

 rate is established. If a private conveyance is used for reasons of personal

 convenience in transaction of state business, the allowance for travel is

 one-half the established rate.

   4.  The state board of examiners may establish a transportation

 allowance for the use of private, special use vehicles on public business by

 any person enumerated in subsection 1, whether within or outside of the

 municipality or other area in which his principal office is located. The

 allowance must be established at rates higher than the rates established in

 subsection 3.

   5.  The state board of examiners may establish:

   (a) A room rate in excess of the normal allowance for reimbursement of

 employees who are required to travel on weekends to serve the needs of

 the public. The board may require the submission of receipts as a

 condition of reimbursement at the special rate.

   (b) Reasonable rates for expenses outside of the United States that will

allow a person to purchase the same quality of food as the domestic rate

 allows.

   6.  The state board of examiners shall adopt regulations, and shall

 require other state agencies to adopt regulations, in accordance with the

 purpose of this section, and a state agency may, with the approval of the

 state board of examiners, adopt a rate of reimbursement less than the

 amounts specified in subsection 1 where unusual circumstances make that

 rate desirable.

   Sec. 2.  NRS 281.160 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   281.160  1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 or 5, or by

 specific statute, any district judge, state officer, state employee or member

 of an advisory board supported in whole or in part by any public money,

 whether the public money is received from the Federal Government or any

 branch or agency thereof, or from private or any other sources, is entitled

 to receive his expenses in the transaction of public business outside of the

 municipality or other area in which his principal office is located, to be

 paid at the rate of [$76] $84 for each 24-hour period during which he is

 away from the office and within the state, and $26 in addition to a

 reasonable room rate for each 24-hour period during which he is outside of

 the state.

   2.  Any person enumerated in subsection 1 is entitled to receive

 expenses for a period of less than 24 hours in accordance with regulations

 of the state board of examiners conforming generally to those rates.

   3.  Any person enumerated in subsection 1 is entitled to receive an

 allowance for transportation in the transaction of public business, whether

 within or outside of the municipality or other area in which his principal

 office is located. Transportation must be by the most economical means,

 considering total cost, time spent in transit and the availability of state

-owned automobiles and special use vehicles. The state board of

 examiners, on or before July 1 of each year, shall establish the rate of the

 allowance for travel by private conveyance. The rate must equal the

 standard mileage reimbursement rate for which a deduction is allowed for

 the purposes of federal income tax that is in effect at the time the annual

 rate is established. If a private conveyance is used for reasons of personal

 convenience in transaction of state business, the allowance for travel is

 one-half the established rate.

   4.  The state board of examiners may establish a transportation

 allowance for the use of private, special use vehicles on public business by

 any person enumerated in subsection 1, whether within or outside of the

 municipality or other area in which his principal office is located. The

 allowance must be established at rates higher than the rates established in

 subsection 3.

   5.  The state board of examiners may establish:

   (a) A room rate in excess of the normal allowance for reimbursement of

 employees who are required to travel on weekends to serve the needs of

 the public. The board may require the submission of receipts as a

 condition of reimbursement at the special rate.

   (b) Reasonable rates for expenses outside of the United States that will

allow a person to purchase the same quality of food as the domestic rate

 allows.

   6.  The state board of examiners shall adopt regulations, and shall

 require other state agencies to adopt regulations, in accordance with the

 purpose of this section, and a state agency may, with the approval of the

 state board of examiners, adopt a rate of reimbursement less than the

 amounts specified in subsection 1 where unusual circumstances make that

 rate desirable.

   Sec. 3.  1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund

 to the contingency fund, created by NRS 353.266, the sum of $11,000,000

 to restore and increase the balance in the fund to $11,000,000.

   2.  There is hereby appropriated from the state highway fund to the

 contingency fund, created by NRS 353.266, the sum of $2,000,000. The

 money appropriated in this subsection must be accounted for separately

 and may only be used for expenditures that may be properly made from

 the state highway fund.

   Sec. 4.  1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund

 to the Interim Finance Committee:

   (a) The sum of $3,750,000 on the effective date of this section; and

   (b) The sum of $13,250,000 on July 1, 2001,

to assist state agencies, including the University and Community College

 System of Nevada, in paying for energy (utilities) needs that exceed the

 amount that has otherwise been appropriated by the Legislature for that

 purpose.

   2.  Money allocated pursuant to subsection 1 may only be used if all

 other sources of funding for energy (utilities) needs that have been

 appropriated by the Legislature have been exhausted by the requesting

state agency, including the University and Community College System

of Nevada.

   3.  If a state agency, including the University and Community College

 System of Nevada, desires to request funding pursuant to subsection 1,

 such a request must be approved by the State Board of Examiners before it

 may be submitted to the Interim Finance Committee. The Interim Finance

 Committee is not required to approve the entire funding in any request or

 to allocate the entire amount appropriated.

   4.  The Interim Finance Committee shall require such documentation

 and reporting by a requesting state agency, including the University and

 Community College System of Nevada, as it deems necessary to ensure

 the productive use of the money appropriated in subsection 1.

   5.  The sums appropriated by subsection 1 are available for either fiscal

 year. Any remaining balance of the sum appropriated by subsection 1 must

 not be allocated by the Interim Finance Committee after June 30, 2003,

 and reverts to the state general fund as soon as all payments of money

 committed have been made.

   Sec. 5.  1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund

 to the Interim Finance Committee the sum of $6,500,000. This

 appropriation is provided as a one-time energy (utilities) pool available to

 school districts in meeting energy (utilities) costs which are greater than

the amounts budgeted for the 2001-2003 biennium. No additional

appropriation will be made for this purpose.

   2.  The State Board of Examiners shall establish policies, procedures

 and criteria for the review of requests for funding pursuant to subsection 1.

 Upon the adoption of such policies, procedures and criteria, the State

 Board of Examiners shall transmit a copy of the policies, procedures and

 criteria to the Interim Finance Committee for approval. Upon approval of

 the policies, procedures and criteria, the Interim Finance Committee shall

 transmit a copy of the policies, procedures and criteria to the Department

 of Education.

   3.  If a school district finds that its energy (utilities) costs are greater

 than the amounts budgeted for the 2001-2003 biennium, the school district

 may submit a request to the Department of Education for an allocation

 from the energy (utilities) pool created by subsection 1.

   4.  The Department of Education, the Budget Division of the

 Department of Administration and the Fiscal Analysis Division of the

 Legislative Counsel Bureau shall jointly review a request submitted

 pursuant to subsection 3, using the policies, procedures and criteria

 approved by the Interim Finance Committee pursuant to subsection 2.

 Upon completion of the review, a recommendation for or against an

 allocation to the requesting school district must be submitted to the State

 Board of Examiners.

   5.  The State Board of Examiners shall consider each request and

 recommend the amount of the allocation, if any, to the Interim Finance

 Committee.

   6.  The Interim Finance Committee is not required to approve the entire

 recommendation of the allocation pursuant to subsection 5 or to allocate

 the entire amount appropriated pursuant to subsection 1.

   7.  The sum appropriated by subsection 1 is available for either fiscal

 year. Any remaining balance of the sum appropriated by subsection 1 must

 not be allocated by the Interim Finance Committee after June 30, 2003,

 and reverts to the state general fund as soon as all payments of money

 committed have been made.

   Sec. 6.  1.  This section and sections 3, 4 and 5 of this act become

 effective upon passage and approval.

   2.  Section 1 of this act becomes effective on July 1, 2001.

   3.  Section 2 of this act becomes effective on July 1, 2002.

 

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